One of the most emotional and meaningful plots of any RPG I have every played.
Suikoden II pleased me just as much, if not more. It took everything Suikoden did right, and made it better. Better graphics, better character development, and an even more emotional plot. When I heard about a third game coming out, I was excited. I expected Suikoden III to be just as good as Suikoden II. What I found was an even better adventure. While many fans of the series felt III didn't get things right quite as much as the past two games, I found Suikoden III to be the best RPG I had ever played, and have one of the best plots, rivaling even some of today's best novels. After playing through the entire story of Hugo, Chris, Geddoe, the Flame Champion, and the people of the Grasslands and Zexen, I couldn't help myself but spread the word of how incredible this game is. So, enjoy my comments on one of the greatest RPGs ever created, and one of the greatest plots ever written in a video game.
Suikoden III's plot is the best story I have seen in an RPG, and I'm not just saying this. They take an ingenius plot system (the Trinity Sight System) and apply it to a story that doesn't just involve saving the world. You learn about war and its costs, about accepting other cultures, about losing family members, and so much more. Most of all, you learn about how important perspective is, and how by changing your perspective you can see everything in a completely different light. It is a theme not nearly touched upon as often as it should, and an excellent way of showcasing a common theme in the series.
The Trinity Sight System is one of the best parts of the game. It's amazing to think that no one has ever used such a system before. Allowing the player to view the same story from 3 (and eventually 6) different points of view makes character and plot development incredibly deep and interesting. There are ultimately no plot holes in this game because of this ingenius device. For example, in Hugo's story, you will see Chris burning down his village for seemingly no reason. It leads you to actually hate her. However, once you play through Chris's story and see why she and her band of knights are committing the act, you actually sympathize for her. Never before have we seen this kind of "emotion-playing" in an RPG.
The TSS will involve going through the same areas multiple times, but the encounter rate is low, most environments are short and quick to run through, and townspeople will react differently depending on which character you are. And the common complaint that you "see the same events over and over" is almost entirely false. There are only a few major events that are repeated, and there are different parts of these events shown depending on which character you're playing as. Every chapter is entirely unique, even if it shows the same part of the story as another chapter.
Besides the TSS, S3 has an excellent plot on its own. The story takes place in a very believable and history-filled setting. Anyone who has played 2 or more games of the series can attest to how historically detailed the world of Suikoden is. And the Grasslands, Zexen, and Harmonia (the three main areas S3 takes place) are not any different. There are a number of major plot twists, most of which (if not all) are completely unexpected. The game does an excellent job of using very subtle foreshadowing, most of which goes unnoticed without a second or even third playthrough.
Beyond the plot itself is a very emotional tale and cast. Having 108 characters makes it very difficult to have good character development, and yet the game has some of the best development I've seen. The main story-related characters all turn out to be very believable and original. Even the side characters have their own unique personalities, and many of them have secret stories and backgrounds for you to find and ponder. My favorite character is one of the three heroes, Hugo. While he starts out as your usual brash, teen boy "hero," he turns into something more. The main theme of the game is war, and its consequences, and Hugo's story does probably the best job of portraying this. His story starts out very simply, and he is seemingly very innocent. However, after returning to his village after running an errand, he finds disaster has struck. Sound familiar? The main hero's village burning is not an uncommon element in RPGs. However, once you find out who has done it, why, and the significance it has to the story, it doesn't seem quite so cliché. Also, a particular event happens here that changes Hugo's life, as well as his look on warfare. As the game progresses, Hugo learns that war is not simply too sides fighting. He learns something I completely agree with and believe, that with all the losses life and material in war rarely make the outcome worth it.
The last thing I loved about the story was how it did not involve saving the world. A quest all too common in the genre, most of the game is played as the other Suikoden games work. A war is taking place between too sides or territories, and it's up to you to "win" it. However, about half way through the game, something big happens. While it does end up being a war to save the immediate area (not the world, might I mention), the reasons behind the antagonists actions and the supposed outcome of this "destruction" are very original and an excellent twist on the usual cliché.
The gameplay for Suikoden III isn't nearly as good as the story, but it is still above average. While the battle system has its flaws (what doesn't?), it's still incredibly innovative and original. You play with a party of six, divided into three partner sets or couples. While this hinders being able to control your entire party, it opens up new combination possibilities, such as characters riding on others (Hugo can ride his griffon, Fubar). There's also the skill system, allowing customization and forcing you (in a good way) to use more than just your six favorite characters. There are also new runes added that allow you to support your party with song, or add magic to your sword. There are also natural tendencies your characters have in battle, like a mage refusing to do a melee attack even if ordered. These add much depth and originality without adding any frustration or real problems.
Sadly, what could've been one of the greatest battle systems in a turn-based RPG didn't turn out as well is it should've. The partner system's hindrances end up making many characters useless. The magic system, while more balanced and realistic, makes some spells a little too useless. For a game that focuses so much on magic battle and plot-wise, they shouldn't have made using it so painful. Regardless of the flaws, however, the system is still one of the most complex in the genre, and the strategy and fun found in the system easily overshadows the problems.
The system isn't perfect. It is a bit more flawed than the past 2 Suikoden games (complexity often does that). However, the flaws are small, and very easily avoidable. They also add a bit of realism to the game, and only force you to think harder about your decisions. In how many RPGs do you have to worry about where your characters are standing? Paired with the emotional and developed plotline, and a colorful and believable cast of characters, you will not be able to put this game down.
The army battles and duels, however, are more or less the same. The duels now have a bar added at the bottom, which shifts side to side as you attack. If you successfully guard against your opponent, or hit them, it will move towards them, giving them a disadvantage (mainly less damage, and giving you a better chance of dodging any attack). However, the same goes for you, so make sure you keep ahead.
The army battles have changed once again, but are still similar to Suikoden II's. Gone are the large armies, you now fight with small groups of party members and/or regular soldiers. You move through points on a connect-the-dots sort of map, occasionally fighting an opponent's party. The fighting is mostly like a regular battle, but you have less control. It takes the massive-ness from the fights, but makes them a bit more personal as well. It's sort of a hate-it/love-it change.
Besides battling, the game plays like your typical RPG. You explore towns, shopping and talking to people, and also travel the natural world fighting monsters. While the game follows the past 2 games trend of having few set-bosses, and focusing more on story-related battles, it uses a different mapping system. Rather than just wander a large map, you go along paths until you get to a point. The point is either a town or a field-dungeon. While this cuts off the exploration a little, the game still remains non-linear, allowing you to do plenty of exploring since locations will often pop up before you need to travel to them.
While there are few sidequests, the game continues the Suikoden classic gameplay trend. There are 108 characters to find, a castle to develop, and plenty of runes and items to find. While it is nice to see more characters related to the story, it also means less characters to search out and find. Also, the quests are a little more user-friendly, and it's almost impossible to miss any characters (I felt it was a good change, because it didn't make it too much easier). The castle in this game is also much more story-related and actually has a history, but it doesn't develop and grow as much as in the last games.
The controls are also smooth and easy to operate. The menus are laid out nicely, and not too difficult to figure out. The battles are your typical turn-based system controls, where you simply choose to attack, defend, cast a spell, or use an item. Two excellent things about the Suikoden games are the Auto option, and the Let Go option. Since many battles consist of just attacking, you can select the Auto command in a battle just to have everyone attack. It is very useful for long journeys. The Let Go command appears instead of Retreat when the enemy is easy. It means they aren't worth beating, and it's a 100% chance escape.
Also new to the game is the Support characters. Rather than make some cast-members useless in battle, many characters have skills that support your party. Whether it's a discount in stores, healing after battle, or letting you cast spells faster, they are all very very useful, and boost the party traveling up to 7!
Speaking of skills, Suikoden III sports a brand new system. Along with experience points, battles will yield skill points. These are used to spend on learning a new skill or improving one already learned. They make each character an individual in battle, and help balance things.
While Suikoden games have always been known for building your own castle, collecting the 108 characters or Stars of Destiny, which is not only original but FUN, Suikoden III adds to the value of the already rich game by having 3 different ways to play out the story and three endings to go with them. Not only do you a chance to see multiple (though similar) endings, but also playing through the first 3 chapters for each character in different orders will result in slight changes in multiple events and cutscenes. I won't spoil any of the story, but lets just say that you'll be dying to play through the game 3 times. There is also a bonus perspective at the end if you've collected all 108 stars, which is also well worth your time, revealing some incredibly interesting twists for the entire series.
The past Suikoden games were known for their classic 2D graphics despite being on the PS1. While this probably scared off some potential fans, the ones who looked past these simple visuals got some of the greatest RPGs created. The jump to 3D is no different. While not up to par with several other PS2 RPGs, Suikoden III presents us with some excellent character designs, and pleasant environments.
I'll give the bad news first. The frame rate is the worst part of the graphics. It often slows down, and can get quite annoying. However, it's a very forgivable flaw, considering the rest the game has to offer. Another issue is the blocky character models and chunky animations.
However, the character designs themselves are probably some of the best ever created. And the environments are just as lush, colorful, and detailed. Perhaps the best addition is the faces. When characters speak, they also portray their emotions on their faces. When they're friend dies, you can see it in their eyes. When they are overjoyed, you can tell just by looking at their face. Showing this emotion on the actual character models is a very important addition to the games emotional value. While Suikoden III may not have the best graphics on the PS2, they have a style and charm absent in so many other games, even the renowned Final Fantasy X. It is a testament to how unimportant graphics can be in an RPG, and yet still pulls off a beautiful style with excellent quality.
The Suikoden games are known for more than their gameplay and stories. The music of the series is renowned and well loved by fans and casual gamers. Rivaling other popular soundtracks like Ys, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy, both Suikoden I and Suikoden II sported some absolutely beautiful tracks. Suikoden III, for the most part, continues this trend.
The game starts out with a bang. Accompanying the stunning anime intro is one of the most beautiful and provoking songs to ever appear in an video game. "Transcending Love" is good enough to be in a movie soundtrack, and will surely have you dying to play the game. From there, the game has some excellent cultural tunes. Most are very percussion heavy, with lots of different drumming sounds. Each location and even has a very fitting and memorable song, and they even match the cultural feel. A more European medieval town has lots of brass and strings, while the African-like Karaya village has a light-drumming beat, with very windy-sound flutes. The only big issue with the music is that a number of the cutscenes are silent, and without any voice acting, it's a fairly noticeable problem.
While the game has no voice acting, it does include some excellent sound effects. Everything is heard whether it's footsteps in dirt, armor clanking, or a robe rustling in the wind. A nice touch to some otherwise silent scenes in the game.
This is truly one of the greatest RPGs ever created. And, as a huge Suikoden fan, this is one of my absolute favorite games period. With an incredible story, a memorable and gargantuan cast, and a unique and complex battle system, there's very little to hate about the game. I felt that while there were some flaws, they were easily forgivable with everything else the game has to offer.
While it may have changed several of the classic aspects of the already-established Suikoden series, the game still presents us with that same emotional and deep storyline. The connections you will make with the characters, and the development you can find for each of the 108 cast members rivals even Suikoden II. While it may take a bit of digging and attention to details to discover the story of every character, I found that Suikoden III does the best job in the series.
Suikoden III is a perfect example of how incredible an RPG can be just based on what truly matters; the story and gameplay. Whether you've never heard of Suikoden or have been into the series from the start, if you like deep storytelling, a diverse and developed cast of characters, or a fun and strategic battle system, Suikoden III is for you.